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7/25/08

Punishment for Torture

Ever wonder how the punishment prescribed by Congress for torture compares with the punishment it prescribes for other offenses?

Under federal law, the punishment for committing or attempting to commit torture is a fine or imprisonment for up to 20 years, or both.

-For distributing at least 5 kilograms of cocaine (or 1 kilogram of heroin or 1000 kilograms of marijuana), federal law requires a sentence of at least 10 years and no more than life imprisonment. If the person has a prior felony drug conviction, the minimum sentence is 20 years, with a maximum of life imprisonment.

-File-sharing child pornography calls for a sentence of between 5 and 20 years.

-If you're an illegal alien who was deported after an aggravated-felony conviction and who reenters the United States: a fine or imprisonment for up to 20 years.

-A person who possesses a machine gun during and in relation to a crime of violence or drug-trafficking crime gets hit with a 30-year mandatory sentence that must run consecutive to any sentence for the underlying crime.

Is there something screwy about the punishment priorities here? Or maybe torture's not such a big deal.